QuickBooks Frozen on Remote Desktop? How can I Fix it? 

While QuickBooks Desktop works well on a local device, accessing it remotely via a remote desktop or cloud can be necessary. Some common scenarios that require remote access to QuickBooks include:

• Hosting QuickBooks in multi-user mode on a computer and accessing it from multiple workstations.
• Hosting QuickBooks on the cloud.
• Using Windows’ built-in Microsoft Remote Desktop feature or software like AnyDesk to remotely connect to a computer with QuickBooks Desktop installed.

Connectivity issues or missing Microsoft components can sometimes cause QuickBooks frozen on remote desktop. This blog explores troubleshooting methods to resolve the issue of QuickBooks getting frozen on a remote desktop connection.

QuickBooks Desktop Frozen on Remote Desktop Connection

You can set up a remote desktop connection to your computer with QuickBooks Desktop installed. This can be useful if you need to work from another computer or if a tech expert or QB ProAdvisor needs to access your computer to perform operations on QuickBooks Desktop.

There are two main ways to establish a remote desktop connection: using Microsoft’s built-in Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) technology or using a third-party application like AnyDesk.

However, users have reported issues such as QuickBooks freezing or the remote desktop responding slowly.

Steps to Troubleshoot QuickBooks Frozen on Remote Desktop Connection

If you’re experiencing a QuickBooks frozen while using Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection, here are the troubleshooting steps to consider. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any further questions or require additional guidance.

Download and Install Windows Update

To implement a remote desktop connection, we require the most up-to-date Microsoft components on the client PC, as well as on the server where QuickBooks Desktop is accessed. To accomplish this, we must ensure that the system has the most recent Microsoft components installed.

Therefore, it is crucial to download and install the latest Windows updates on both the client’s PC and the workstation. Let’s delve into the steps involved in downloading and installing the latest updates for Windows on both the server and the client computer:

1. Open the Settings application on your computer. To do this, you can press the Start button and then click on the Settings icon. Alternatively, you can simultaneously press the Windows and I keys.
2. In the Settings window, click on Windows Update or Update and Security.
3. Click on the Check for Update button. Subsequently, download and install the available updates.

If necessary, restart your computer to install the updates once all of them have been downloaded.

Repeat the same steps on both the client system and workstations. After that, verify if QuickBooks frozen on remote desktop connection.

Run Command to Unfreeze RDP

To unfreeze QuickBooks when it is frozen on a remote desktop, follow these steps:

• Open the Start menu and type “cmd” in the search bar.
• Right-click on the “Command Prompt” app and select “Run as administrator.”
• In the Command Prompt window, type the following command:

reg add “HKLM\software\policies\microsoft\windows nt\Terminal Services\Client” /v fClientDisableUDP /d 1 /t REG_DWORD

• Hit the Enter key.
• Restart your computer and see if QuickBooks Desktop still frozen on the remote desktop.

Run Registry Editor to Unfreeze RDP

To unfreeze QuickBooks when it is slow or stuck on a remote desktop, follow these steps:

• Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialogue box.
• Type regedit in the Run box and click OK.
• Navigate to the following registry key: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services\Client.
• Right-click on the Client folder, select New, and then choose DWORD (32-bit) Value from the list. This will add a new item named “New Value #1” to the right side of the window.
• Rename the new item to fClientDisableUDP.
• Double-click on the fClientDisableUDP file.
• Enter 1 as the value data.

• Ensure that the Base is set to Decimal.
• Click the OK button to save the settings.
• Restart your computer.
• Evaluate whether you encounter any issues while running QuickBooks on a remote desktop.

Run Group Policy Editor to Unfreeze RDP

If QuickBooks remains frozen on your remote desktop after performing the aforementioned steps, try running the following command in the Group Policy Editor:

• Press the Windows + R key combination.
• The Run dialog box will appear.
• Type “msc” (without the quotes) in the text field.
• Click “OK” to proceed.
• Navigate to the following location in the Group Policy Editor:

Computer Configuration > Administrative templates > Windows components > Remote Desktop Services > Remote Desktop Connection client

• In the settings, find the option to disable UDP on the client.

• On the client, double-tap “Turn off UDP.”
• In the top left corner of the window, select the “Enabled” option.

• Now click on OK. 

Run this Command in Windows Powershell

If QuickBooks continues to freeze or become unresponsive on a remote desktop, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Start button and type Powershell in the search bar
2. Right-click on Windows Powershell and select “Run as administrator”
3. Copy and paste the following command into the Powershell window and hit enter:

Set-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\Terminal Services” -Name “fSingleSessionPerUser” -Type DWORD -Value 0 -Force

Command Line: $ID=query session /SERVER:WSMC027|select -skip 1|%{$_.Split(‘ ‘,[System.StringSplitOptions]::RemoveEmptyEntries)}

Disconnect-RDUser -HostServer WSMC027 -UnifiedSessionID $ID[8] -Force

exit 0

• After completing the process, proceed to restart the computer.

Run Command Prompt to Kill Stuck Task

Sometimes, leaving a remote desktop connection running while the PC goes to sleep can cause the PC to get stuck. If this happens, it is necessary to terminate the process and restart the system.

Follow these steps on the client system where QuickBooks Desktop is installed:

1. Click on the Start button and type “cmd” in the search bar.
2. Right-click on “Command Prompt” and select “Run as administrator.”
3. In the Command Prompt window, type “taskkill /f /im msrdc.exe” and press Enter.
4. Once the process is terminated, restart the system.

Launch Clean Boot

To troubleshoot potential background task interference, you can perform a clean boot to restart your system with only essential startup programs and drivers. This method helps identify if a background task is causing issues. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Open the Start menu and search for “System Configuration.”
2. Double-click on “System Configuration” to launch it.
3. Select the “Services” tab.
4. Tick the checkbox for “Hide all Microsoft Services.”
5. Select all the services listed.
6. Click “Restart.”
7. Let the system restart.

After completing the clean boot, run QuickBooks Desktop on a remote desktop and observe whether you still encounter the issue.

Establish a Reconnection

To troubleshoot a connection issue, try reconnecting. Here are the steps:

1. Use Remote Desktop Connection to connect to a different account on the remote computer.
2. Press Ctrl + ALT + Del to open the Windows security screen.
3. Click on Task Manager.
4. Click on the Users tab.
5. Find the user account that is stuck and that you have a problem connecting to.
6. Right-click on the username and click on Connect.
7. Enter the required password to connect to the user account.

Conclusion!!

This guide provides troubleshooting methods to resolve the issue of QuickBooks frozen on remote desktop. If you encounter persistent problems while running QuickBooks on a remote desktop, it is recommended to consult a QuickBooks expert for further assistance.